All calm on the football poll front

Saint Louis collected all 16 first-place votes and remained at No. 1 in the Star-Bulletin/KITV-4 Football Top 10 today.

The Crusaders, who came within one victory of the state title last season, are 17-0 with Micah Mamiya at starting quarterback.

Last year, Saint Louis rode a stout defense and Mamiya's mastery on offense to an 11-0 start, but his shoulder injury in the state semifinals led to a close loss in the title game against Kahuku.

Saint Louis' offense is playing well again, but its defensive unit has been relentless. Anchored by Ryan Eastman and Geordan Hanohano in the trenches, the Crusaders 'D' got its toughest battle of the season over the weekend in a 49-34 win over Iolani.

The poll had its calmest week of the season, with no dropouts or new additions. Punahou beat Pac-Five and moved out of a tie at No. 2 when Kahuku dropped a notch despite a win at Castle.

Waianae, meanwhile, broke out of a tie with Kapolei at No. 8. The Seariders, who also had a bye, stayed put, but the Hurricanes slipped a spot to No. 9 despite a win at Radford. Waianae will host Kapolei in a key matchup on Saturday.

Waianae senior Ben McQuown, who moved from quarterback to wide receiver after suffering a shoulder injury, will miss the game. The swift two-sport standout will be in Arizona for a baseball tournament.